# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1998_S171 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 171 pose of the event is consistent with the positions, policies, and ob- Jectives of Synod; and (c) care has been taken to inform and listen to the counsel of other pastors and/or congregations most closely affected and those Circuit and District leaders having the responsi- bility of spiritual oversight. Good Shepherd Edgewood, NM 3-53 To Reaffirm Practice of Altar and Pulpit Fellowship and Renunciation of Unionism and Syncretism as Conditions of Membership WHEREAS, Reports of altar and pulpit fellowship with those who are not in doctrinal agreement with The Lutheran Church—Mis- souri Synod have been and continue to be divisive within the church; and WHEREAS, Some of the pastors of our Synod practice worship fellowship by involving themselves and/or their congregations with heterodox bodies in special worship services or events: and WHEREAS, The Synod in its Constitution has stated the follow- ing: Article II Objectives The Synod, under Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. shall— 1. Conserve and promote the unity of the true faith (Eph. 4:3-6; 1 Cor. 1:10), work through its official structure toward fellowship with other Christian church bodies, and provide a united defense against schism, sectarianism (Rom. 16:17), and heresy; and WHEREAS, The Constitution further states in Article VI condi- tions for acquiring and holding membership in the Synod are the following: 2. Renunciation of unionism and syncretism of every de- scription such as: ... Taking part in the services and sacramental rites of hetero- dox congregations or of congregations of mixed confession: therefore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con- vention assembled reaffirm the Synod’s position on altar and pulpit fellowship; and be it further Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod reaffirm its position that joint worship of any description with clergymen of other denominations is contrary to scriptural mandates such as Rom. 16:17 cited in Art. III | of the Synod’s Constitution; and be it further Resolved, That we understand this to include participation in wedding, funeral, baccalaureate, and community worship services; and be it further Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod affirm its scriptural and confessional Position against unionism of any kind, including, but not limited to, clergy participation in worship services with heterodox church bodies, participation in the rites and services of heterodox church bodies, and permitting clergy or other persons of heterodox church bodies to participate in orthodox Lutheran rites and services; and be it finally Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Presi- dent shall consider correction of abuses of these doctrinal articles to be a top priority in the next three years and shall, through the of- fices of the District Presidents, admonish those who abuse them that they are placing their synodical membership in jeopardy and shall report all violations and proposed or completed corrective ac- tion to the churches of the Synod semiannually. Our Redeemer, Forsyth, IL; Messiah, Middletown, OH: Trinity, Iuka, IL; Bethany, Fort Wayne, IN; Grace, Paris, TX 3-54 To Reaffirm Renunciation of Unionism and Syncretism as Conditions of Membership WHEREAS, The Synod in its Constitution lists as a condition of acquiring and holding membership in the Synod “renunciation of unionism and syncretism of every description”; and WHEREAS, The Synod is disturbed by reports of instances in which this condition of membership is breached; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm its Position that joint wor- ship of any description with clergymen of other denominations is contrary to scriptural mandates such as Rom. 16:17 cited in Art. IIT ! of the Synod’s Constitution; and be it further Resolved, That we understand this to include participation in wedding, funeral, and community worship services; and be it fi- nally Resolved, That pastors who Persist in not following these guide- lines be removed by their District president from membership in the LCMS. Mount Hope Casper, WY 3-55 To Promote Faithfulness to Scripture in Establishing Fellowship WHEREAS, The ELCA by its 1997 convention action indicates its desire of fellowship with other churches without agreement in understanding of the Scriptures; and WHEREAS, This action leads to the unscriptural axiom: “Let us agree to disagree” to establish fellowship and is not a scriptural basis for Christian fellowship; and WHEREAS, Any failure to take the biblical text seriously has con- sequences; and WHEREAS, Such action often leads to a refusal to proclaim the full severity of the Law and the full tichness of the Gospel for the Salvation of men, leading souls to perish eternally; and WHEREAS, All of these actions confuse people regarding the Lutheran understanding of biblical faith and fellowship as is wit- nessed to in the Book of Concord; therefore be it Resolved, That the LCMS in convention boldly proclaim its commitment to the Scriptures as the divine and inspired Word of God; and be it further Resolved, That the LCMS in convention confesses its full faith in Holy Scripture as the only norm by which all doctrine and prac- tice of mankind must be judged; and be it further Resolved, That the LCMS in convention confesses that the Lutheran Symbols as contained in the Book of Concord are a faith- ful exposition of holy Scripture; and be it further Resolved, That the pastors and teachers of the LCMS confess, teach, and preach the Law in its severity and the Gospel in its Sweetness as given us in Holy Scripture for the salvation of all peo- ple; and be it further Resolved, That the LCMS in convention and through its pastors and laity encourage all churches including the ELCA to confess, teach, and preach the Law in its severity and the Gospel in its Sweetness as given us in Holy Scripture for the salvation of all peo- ple; and be it further Resolved, That the LCMS in convention and through its pastors and laity encourage all churches including the ELCA to seek a Spirit-wrought agreement in areas of theological contention for the basis of biblical fellowship; and be it finally Resolved, That the LCMS in convention out of brotherly love strongly warn the ELCA that its present confessional stance has de- parted from the doctrinal stance of Lutheranism as Outlined in the Book of Concord. Midstate Circuit Southern Hlinois District